TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20602, 28 June 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Other Correspondents.—-Replica will I e published sext week* " T McK.." Waipukurau.—The apple » evidently a seedling. not being •srita any knoTrzi variety writer la acqnaiJiled sriilu A-L-D-. OpaiSri.—'To keep .f rtc Y~ tubers: When they are thoroughly clean and dry, pack them in a case, .with try sand cr Sue earth and pat m an airy pace. D.C.. Hatunm (H.3.).-The leaf of a tree E«nt some lime ago wa3 too meagre a specimen to identify the species. Eintny forward a piece ci branch, aiso with a .ew leaves. J*i[f. * Gisbcrne.—The applo is or f "WolseLey. It originated in >6-* Zealand. Is is badly disfigured wiia tee transparency that Etiects some varieties, rendering taen unsalable. _ .

3L8.1L. Matakche.—The specimen in tin. is cn . 3 of the agaricus. an_ extensive order_ or fungi. probably oue of the parasol varieties. Being in an airtight, tin. it openea on- m a state of decomposition. " Birbury," Papaktira-—The name ci the specimen ia Crataegus crenulata, .an ornamental shrub when laden -.vita its cnga. red berries. It is also a usexul hedge plant that will net became a. pest.

E.LJ., Bastings.—The ped or oear.s is a stringless runner variety called £.picwre. The flavour is excellent, very tender and perfectly stringless, and a mcst prounc cropper and good grower. It is a most valuable variety.

" Lemonade," Te Aroha.—To induce fruitfulness upon your ten-jeax-cld lemon anu orange trees that have been well manured and ara perfectly healthy, est do not crop, -withhold nitrogenous manures and apply a liberal dressing of basic slag at once. " Tonus Orchard," Napier.—Frcm your description, the apples are anected w.i-h bitter pit. _ Good drainage ia. essential. Spraying with lima sulphur and fca crinier strength Bordeo.au mixture during the winter would control that_ tne skin to crack and produces the black spots. ifatatoke.—The grass is _cne of the poaa, probably prateusis. wmcn :s s? oloniferoua and creeping-rocted—a raucaesteenied perennial grass for pastures —or it may be Poa annua. The flowers cr stems 3re necesEary to identify _ any grasses that bear a close resemblance in the tuft form. J.M., Gisborue. —Tbe apple if not Manroe's Favourite or Dunn's Seeding, a variety called Wa Anderson- ihe cisease that causes the cracks and penetrates toe fruit is a species of fuuzua coj-pii fnaicladium. TT'inter spray with G—l-J0 Bordeaux mirmre or iiine salphar. cr the caustic soaaalkali soiutiion.

T . *,VPonsonby.—The apple ia Granule Smith, an AustTalian-raised _ Tie blight on the branches is woolly apms. to which this variety is very subject. The remedy ia to procure some of Apnelinzs mali insecta Ttiey will completely eat tne aphis out. Apply to the Department cf Agriculture, Auckland, for a supply. " Toadstool," ilatakohe.—The specimen cf mushrocui was much decayed. Many o: the kinds aTe highly poisonous. There is a large mushroom, with a red cap. studded with pale warts, that is very, virulent. The writer is unable to say whether the one you have in such abundance is poisonous to cattle or not, but it is probably ncn-poxsoa-oas. Send a specimen to the Sicca. Department, Auckland, but not in a closed tin box.

" Gardener," Eketahuua.—The caustic soda-alkali soluticn will tliorougnly cleanse the bark of trees from moss and otuer uara; diseases. Suitable fertilisers for strawberries are basic slag oug in; scatter r. little bleed and bone along the rows.wbea planting, followed by a surface o. superphosphate and sulpiiale cr gib. super and 23b. eu! oiiat e per 40 square jaxds* aud Triien tli® pxaiits axe a sprinkling of guano. "J O'EL.' Hamilton.—The loss of portions of your pittosporum hedge is due either to root fungus or scale lueecuS. Kcot fungus coats the roots with a slime tba. rots them and causes the tree to tie. tae scale causes rousd t indentations on sue leaves, fcHowed by a black smutty or sooty appearance, which is sometimes so fcad ; as to eventually kill the plants. Kincuy lorward a twig with the leaves. Too giye t-e nan: s akeuke, the common name or O.earia, and quite different to pittosporum, Ct there are several kinds. On receipt ot specimen fuller information will be given. " Interested," Glenbrook. —Eakea saligna would be preferable as a hedge where tne soil is poor and dry and the yei,ow clay near the surface. Olearia. Forstem is tne best of the specie* for hc-dga purposes, but would not be a success under tne above conditions. Yon nhould be able to paw an heliotrope in the open. Feijoia selloweaaa should also succeed. With regard to sowing lawn in the spring, much depends upon the weather and the qaality of the seii. TLa names of nine evergreen shrubs to grow from 3ft to 6ft. high are:—Dioima erecoides. asalea. Polygala grand is. Lasiandra grandiflora, Tiburntnn Sieboldii, Eriostemon nerij'oba, Euonymtts variegated . hydrangea, Veronica speciosa, and Aralia Sieboltiu. " Subscriber," Chatham Islands.—Cupressua Laivsoniana ia very hardy as far as temperature ia joncemed. but it is not equal to standing up against your cold south-westerlies that are probably more or less salt-laden. It is of slow growth and bnrdSy equal to your requirements in providing a thorough low wind break to the macrocarpaa. which should, if planted young and allowed to grow naturally, be furnished from the ground and provide ampla shelter. Bows of Capressus macrocarpa, properly planted and treated, would provide a barrier against the strongest gales. Juniperua return a nis and the upright variety of hibernica would provide permanent low shelter and prevent undercurrents of wind. You might try a ro-.v of Da.wyoniaiias as an fsppriineiit. A most suitable distance to plant Cupressus macrocarpa for timber purposes is to arrange the plants 12ft. by 6ft. apart., eventually thirminir them to 12ft. apart each way. Kspo3. !